PHOTO PROMPT © Jilly Funell
“What’s the matter, son?” Jim asked as he slid the milkshake across the Formica-topped table.
“Autumn is sad, grandad; it’s horrible seeing all the trees cold and their leaves dead.”
“That’s just nature son. Everything has its time and then it all begins again shiny and new.”
“Do we have a time, grandad?”
Wheezing, Jim peered into the darkness of his coffee and saw only the black answer.
“Well that’s a deep, dark subject to consider over a milkshake, son, but either way, you’re the new and shiny, so how about we get on with buying those trainers you wanted?”
Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here
I’ve been away from FF for a while, mainly due to lots going on here and not having the time to reciprocate comments. The arrival of Freddie was one of the major distractions. He has been fun and so far taught me a lot, which I thought I’d share with you.
What I have learnt in six months since getting a new puppy:
1) There are far more dirty tissues and used baby wipes in the world than I’d ever imagined – because people are dirty.
2) A standard size cardboard box, when shredded correctly will comfortably cover the lawn of an average semi-detached house.
3) Puppies have two bladders. One for the normal everyday requirements and another to greet everyone they meet with their own personal little wee. This second bladder is inexhaustible.
4) A puppy thinks a cat is just another thing to be played with. (They only think this once)
5) Puppies don’t like untidiness and will remove any shoes, tools or other items left unattended for destruction and burial somewhere in the garden.
6) Puppies are useful for getting that ‘dog fur’ finish on any new gloss paint you’ve applied to stairs or skirting boards.
7) Puppies are happy to help you with any chores. At the slightest chink of a tool, your new best friend will be there to protect you from the hoover, climb in to check the dishwasher is safe and defend you from the lawn mower before it can do you harm.
One thing that is worrying me though…he ain’t never caught a rabbit yet.
I feel that way about autumn too. Perhaps I should get a new puppy….
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Maybe. Autumn’s beautiful but signals a lot of endings.
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Welcome back, Michael. Your new season starts now
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Thanks Neil, I’ve missed you all
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So very nice to see you here, Michael! And with a beautiful write, at that.
Ah yes… a new puppy. Freddie has taught you well 😉
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Thanks Dale, it’s good to be back. Freddie’s still teaching me, eggs must me stored elsewhere now, amongst other things.
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Your puppy is adorable. And I liked your story, too. Well done 🙂
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Thanks very much
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A difficult question for a grandad (or granny) to field. I like the way out your story’s grandad found.
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Thank-you Penny
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I have never thought of autumn in that way but know others do. Grandad had a great segue.
Freddie is adorable. Maybe the reason he hasn’t caught a rabbit yet is that you haven’t trained the rabbit to attack you, thus triggering Freddie’s protective instincts. Best of luck to you.
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You could have a point there, he looks at the rabbits and they look at him and neither seems bothered about the other but the hoover, that’s a totally different thing altogether, Freddie goes into super attack mode
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My father, and my son, feel that way about the fall as well. I never have. The colors are just too beautiful, the chill weather is invigorating, I’ve always felt the chlorophyl kills the colors that the trees want.
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I love the Fall too, now but I must admit when I was a child I wanted to invent a way to stick the leaves back on the trees
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Good story.
Freddie is adorable. I remember when Maggie was that tiny, and she’ll be 14 in January.
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Thanks. Yes, I think we have many happy times ahead of us, as well as new slippers. 🙂
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Ah yes, replacement slippers. With Barney it was electric razors.
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Haha, I suppose we’re lucky, electric razors are expensive
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He dismantled two and tucked the bits neatly in his bedding.
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Dear Michael,
Good to see you back. There’s a lot of story over that milkshake. Good one.
Freddie is so cute. And I laughed aloud at what you’ve learned from your puppy. I’d say, even if he ain’t never caught a rabbit, he’s still a friend of yours. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, it’s good to be back. Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do with a rabbit if he did catch one and if he’s a hound dog, we still love him
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Nicely deflected, grandad!
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Thanks Draliman
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Grandad is a great company. He buys a milkshake and a trainer for his grandson. Who would not love such a person.
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Thank you, I’m pleased you enjoyed it
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A touching story for your re-entry, and one that resonates with me, a grandmother five times over. Love the puppy news too!
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Thanks Liz
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Great to see you again.. the story made me sigh.. the subject is tough, and i think the grandkid knew more than he wanted… distraction needed… just like a new puppy.
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Thanks Bjorn, it’s good to be back. I’m pleased you liked the story.
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Good to see you back, border collie puppies generally enjoy listening to stories, so keep up the writing
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HI Michael, thanks very much. He’s actually a Sprollie, which is either a mongrel or a crossbreed between a Collie and a Springer, dependent on where you sit on crossbreeds. The Springer part of him is often very evident but we’re enjoying him.
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Laughing at the puppy lessons – took a second to get the cardboard box one.
Woof
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Thanks for reading
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🙂
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Lovely story Michael, and after reading your learnings from bringing home a puppy, I too want one now 😦
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They’re lovely but sometimes drive you nuts but I wouldn’t send him back now, however often I threaten him with it. 🙂
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The first story is sweet, but the puppy story is so true. I have 2 new Scottie terrors…. uh, terriers. They are all of your observations, times two, except that we have three patient, understanding cats who can run faster, and climb higher, quicker – but none of them ain’t caught that rat what lives in my basement. 😯
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5 of them and still the rat survives? Dereliction of duty if you ask me, are they unionised? Thanks for reading
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The puppies are not allowed into the basement until they are thoroughly house-trained. All three of the cats can be found lurking and listening at various places down there, but our basement is so crowded that the 2 rats (male and female I fear – I just trapped 7 juveniles) have lots of escape routes that the cats can’t got to quickly enough. 😯
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Love both the story and the journaling! I, too, have a new little furry baby in my home, and what you write would go for my kitten, too. He’s into everything. I had to get down on the floor and crawl around to ensure all dangers were removed…. then, he discovered the older kitty… it’s been a war zone since….arrrggghhhh!
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Haha, a fellow sufferer. It’s trying to anticipate what’s next to try to avoid it which is the problem. They always find a way to blind side us. I’m pleased you liked the story
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The circle of life… I love autumn. And that is a cute puppy!
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Thanks Trent
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I love that the child is “the new and shiny”. Poetic! And of course I fell in love with Freddie the new puppy on sight. Thankfully your delightful and useful tips of what a potential puppy owner should know, brought me back to reality. He’s still gorgeous though.
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Thank-you Jilly. We were prepared for Freddie but I’m not sure anything prepares you completely. My partner certainly wasn’t when she neglected to put her cooling chocolate cake sufficiently high up and out of the way.
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That’s a profound subject, which I’ve often dwelt upon – the cycles of seasons and life. I enjoyed this, and the news of your new puppy. That made me grin from ear to ear. 🙂
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Thanks Sandra, it is a subject I’ve been fascinated and which has been written about since the original legend of The Green Man.
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Autumn is lovely. Little melancholic though. Liked the story
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Thank-you. Autumn is great but it does single a closeness to the end for many things.
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Hilarious puppy tails to match your sobering FF one! Hope Freddie will make a good sheep or Frisbee dog for you, and I expect he will continue to steal the show for a while, with a mug like that. The moment where the father looks in the coffee cup was priceless, and i totally get why he avoided the question.
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Thanks so much for your comment. Freddie is proving a source of fun and inspiration at the moment
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I really like the gentle lightness of touch about the way grandad handles the subject of mortality with his grandson- truthful and un-scarey. Good writing.
Your puppy learning are quite delightful – and remind me how irresistible puppies are – even if chewing up your new shoes !
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Thank-you, yes, I believe slipper makers love to hear of someone getting a new puppy, we are certainly keeping them in business
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if anything, grandads are experts in creating diversion. congrats on the new puppy. 🙂
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Thanks Plaridel
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Very touching story. Welcome back! Your puppy is so adorable, I’m awwing at the screen. 🙂
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Thank-you, he’s giving us a lot of enjoyable moments
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Kids can slip in questions regarding life so well but grandad deflects beautifully. That puppy is very cute, my dog is growing older and spends most of his time sleeping now.
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Great story, Michael. Sometimes, children ask questions that we can’t or find hard to answer. I like Autumn because of the changing color of the leaves and the air is a bit fresher. Each season has it’s own beauty. Your puppy is adorable.
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I like Autumn now but must admit as a boy I wanted to find a way to stick all the leaves back on. Thanks for reading, he’s adorable in parts and a nuisance the rest of the time. 🙂
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Omg that puppy is so cute!!!
Great piece Michael. Old and young out together. Lovely
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Thanks Laurie
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Welcome back, Michael. You know how to win a crowd … showcase a puppy. OMG … he’s too cute. I enjoyed reading your list. Congratulations on finding a winner dog. Now, I’ll be curious about what he’s up to. 😀
Your story is touching. I love Autumn because of all the beautiful colors that Mother Nature paints. It’s a time of rest and renewal. A very nice approach to the prompt this week.
Isadora 😎
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Thanks Isadora, you’re right about Freddie, I think he got more comments than me this week. As to what he’s up to, everything but highlights are a dozen eggs smashed all over the kitchen floor and a cooling chocolate cake stolen for which he suffered with the runs for a short while. Thanks for the comment on my story too, Autumn is a strange one because it’s so beautiful but does have an underlying meaning presaging death until spring brings renewal
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LOLOL … I’d love to get a dog but wouldn’t be able to keep up. Although I live in a home with a backyard, there are wild animals like oscelots, racoons, owls, wild hogs and cougars. The community I live in is a bird wildlife nature preserve. We have a cage we live behind. : ) I had 2 cats killed by alligators. I’ll enjoy your tales of Freddie. I think he’s a fun little guy despite his antics. Yes, I can see him getting a lot more comments. Have a wonderful week …
Isadora 😎
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Autumn makes more people aware of the fact that life is transient – it reminds them of the old age and the impending death. While the nature renews itself, the human body doesn’t!
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Thank-you for reading and commenting. The human body doesn’t renew but humans do, like new leaves. Unfortunate for the individual, good for the species.
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Agree, in Hinduism, we believe the soul is immortal, it comes back to the world in a different cloak.
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I like this theory myself as Nature/The World recycles everything else, so why not souls as well
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Your story expresses the bittersweet nature of autumn perfectly. Freddie is adorable!
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Thank you very much
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